Araceae

Sauromatum Schott

First published in H.W.Schott & S.L.Endlicher, Melet. Bot.: 17 (1832)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical Africa, Tropical & Subtropical Asia to N. China.

Descriptions

CATE Araceae, 17 Dec 2011. araceae.e-monocot.org

Diagnostic
Sauromatum can be separated from all other Areae genera by a combination of four characters Sauromatum: has (1) pedatisect leaves; (2) a spathe tube with fused margins, (3) clavate lower staminodes; and (iv) upper staminodes that are differently shaped from the lower ones and/or longitudinal ridges on the spadix between the lower staminodes and the stamens. The ridges on the spadix may represent vestigial staminode bases, as is visible in S. giganteum. When the last two of these four characters apply and a species has pedatisect leaves and/or a fused spathe tube, then it can be assigned to Sauromatum.
[CATE]

Araceae, S.J. Mayo. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1985

Morphology General Habit
Terrestrial acaulescent herbs with subglobose tubers, seasonally dying back and dormant
Morphology Leaves
Leaf solitary, subtended by several basal cataphylls; petiole with inconspicuous sheath, lacking apical pulvinus; blade deeply pedately-lobed; venation reticulate, primary lateral veins of lobes forming inframarginal veins
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Spadix with short ± cylindric basal pistillate part, followed by much longer sterile zone, naked apart from filiform to clavate projections at base; central staminate part short and cylindric, followed by slender, ± cylindric, smooth, sterile, terminal appendix Inflorescence solitary, appearing before leaf Spathe borne at ground-level, erect, margins connate basally forming a tube, somewhat inflated at extreme base, upper expanded limb much longer, narrowly oblong-lanceolate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers unisexual, lacking perigon, densely congested
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens free, ± sessile; anthers dehiscing by oblique apical pores; connective slender
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary unilocular; ovules orthotropous, 1–4, basal; stigma subsessile, capitate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Berries purple to red, densely congested in subglobose infructescence
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds with abundant endosperm.
[FTEA]

Sources

  • CATE Araceae

    • Haigh, A., Clark, B., Reynolds, L., Mayo, S.J., Croat, T.B., Lay, L., Boyce, P.C., Mora, M., Bogner, J., Sellaro, M., Wong, S.Y., Kostelac, C., Grayum, M.H., Keating, R.C., Ruckert, G., Naylor, M.F. and Hay, A., CATE Araceae, 17 Dec 2011.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0